About Wind Turbines:
Savonius rotors are a type of vertical axis wind turbine used to convert wind power into torque on a rotating shaft. They were invented by the Finnish engineer Sigurd J. Savonius in 1922.
Savonius turbines are one of the simplest turbines. Aerodynamically, they are drag or resistance devices comprising two or three vanes. Looking at the rotor from the top, the vanes form the shape of an S. Because of the curvature, the vanes experience less resistance when moving against the wind in its direction. This difference causes the Savonius turbine to rotate. As a drag device, the Savonius draws much less of the force of the wind than similar sized lift turbines. On the other hand, there is no need to position the turbines in the direction of the wind, they better support turbulence and are able to start rotating in low speed winds. It is one of the cheapest and easiest to use turbine.
Savonius turbines are used where the cost is more important than efficiency. For example, most anemometers are Savonius turbines (or a derivative design) because the efficiency is completely irrelevant to that application. Much larger Savonius turbines have been used to generate electricity in deep water buoys, which need small amounts of power and require very little maintenance. The most common application of the Savonius turbine is the Flettner ventilator which is commonly seen on the roofs of vans and buses used as a cooling device. The fan was created by German engineer Anton Flettner. Today, the Savonius turbine is increasingly used to power small appliances.
The Darrieus wind turbine is a type of vertical axis wind turbine that is used to generate electricity from the energy carried by the wind. The turbine comprises a number of lift surfaces usually, but not always, vertically mounted on a rotating shaft or frame. This design of wind turbine was patented by Georges Jean Marie Darrieus, a French engineer in 1931.
The traditional differential systems Savonius and Darrieus generate turbulence and varying tensions on the rotor ending in parasitic forces and vibrations that limit performance and system control.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,824,349 relates to a rotor operating at low wind speeds, which comprises a base, a rotor frame rotationally supported on the base for moving about a vertical axis clockwise, and a plurality of vane type screens to receive the wind pivotally arranged on the rotor frame for moving about a vertical axis clockwise between a first closed position and a second open position, the main differences between the object of the present invention and the object of U.S. Pat. No. 6,824,349 is that the latter is a direct action apparatus without airflow enhancer; it also includes moving parts in the rotor that reduce speed and performance, it is a complex mechanism exposed to erosion and wear with lubrication issues. In addition the system is noisy and slow contributing not much to the overall performance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,468,169 relates to a wind turbine with high torque regulated flexible vanes, that consists of a horizontally mounted wind wheel which comprises a frame mounted for rotation in a horizontal plane about a central axis perpendicular, a plurality of secondary axes supported for rotation on said frame near the periphery thereof, a vane mounted near one end thereof of each secondary axis, a plurality of vane stops on the frame radially arranged inwardly from axes to limit the rotation of the vanes, each one of said secondary shafts being mounted for rotation near an axis which is inclined with respect to the vertical of said horizontal plane as a result of which each vane has a preferred, predetermined rest position defined by the direction of slope of each axis from a vertical line; the main differences between the object of the present invention and the object of U.S. Pat. No. 4,468,169 are that the latter also refers to a direct action apparatus without airflow enhancer, it also includes moving parts in the rotor that reduce speed and performance, it is a complex mechanism exposed to erosion and wear with lubrication issues, and this system is noisy and slow showing a poor overall performance.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,083,382 relates to a vertical axis wind turbine, said invention provides a primary motor to use the energy of a fluid flow, the primary motor comprises a shaft having a rotational axis, arranged to be rotatably mounted to a substructure, the shaft comprising at least one arm extending radially from said shaft, the arm or each arm comprising at least one vane being the vane or each vane positioned so that the action of flow on the vane affects the rotation axis, wherein the vane or each vane is movably mounted on an arm and wherein each vane is movable from a first position, providing a first drag, to a second position which provides a second drag, wherein the first drag is higher than the second.
The primary motor drive above provides a substantially reduced drag on a fluid flow, and an increased torque output, compared with the engines or main turbines of the prior art, but the main differences in relation with the object of the present invention is that the wind turbine of U.S. Pat. No. 7,083,382 is a direct action apparatus without airflow enhancer with many moving parts that reduce speed and performance, it has a complex mechanism exposed to wear by erosion and lubrication issues resulting in a noisy and slow equipment showing a poor overall performance.
The publication of Spanish application 2,161,650 relates to a system to use the wind energy that comprises a windmill having a vertical axis which project a plurality of radial arms, the arms of each pair opposing to each other, and at the end of each of these arms, mounted on a hinge, there is a rectangular vane vertically arranged in a plane perpendicular to the respective radial arm on which it is articulated. The opposite vanes of a pair stay at rest, positioned perpendicularly to the wind direction making this to carry the thrust and tilting of this pair of vanes, limiting the variation angle of these vanes by means of a stop. Each of the vanes is associated to a recovery element that positions said upper arm said vane perpendicular to the arm hinged to when the thrust ceases; the main differences between the present invention and the object of the Spanish publication 2,161,650 are that the latter does not have an enhancer or flow concentrator, it has moving parts in the rotor, it has a direct-acting mechanism with rotor adjustment that activates on each turn, which is not practical in snowy areas due to the energy loss, it is not allowed a complete closure in case of extreme winds, it has lubrication issues, noise, poor performance, wear, low speed, it is impossible to regulate the speed, it is impossible to completely stop it for repairs, and provides a low final velocity.
The Spanish application publication corresponding to ES 2,020,711 relates to a rotating shaft for wind turbines which comprises a fixed tower, to be installed on the ground, establishing a major axis vertically, wherein on its upper end and above the tower a plurality of radial and horizontal arms are fixed jointly, with an equiangular distribution, each of which carries one or more plates or vanes which form the receiving means of the action of the wind, with the particularity that said vanes are attached articulated to said arms with the assistance of vertical hinge axes and are susceptible to adapt to such arms, with the assistance of an armor, during the half cycle wherein said operating arm is getting the wind, and to adopt a arrangement parallel to said wind direction during the inoperative half cycle, the return of said arm against the wind direction, the main differences between the present invention and the object of the Spanish publication 2,020,711 are that the latter has a direct action mechanism with rotor adjustment and moving parts that activates on every turn, there evidences loss of energy and is not practical in snowy areas, does not allow a complete closure in the event of extreme winds, it also has lubrication issues, noise, wear, poor performance, it is also impossible to regulate the speed and stop it completely to fix it, and finally the rotating shaft for wind turbines has a low final speed according to its configuration.
Spanish publication ES 2,310,965 relates to a wind or hydraulic turbine comprising multiple thin vertical wall nozzles, which form the fixed structure of the turbine.
Within this structure there is a runner, of vertical axis, provided with vanes, hinged to arms firmly anchored to the runner, which can adopt intermediate positions between the maximum and minimum opening, depending on the speed of the incoming streams. The gradual opening of the vanes to completely use the corresponding energies is automatically achieved by tensioning devices such as that consisting of a winding drum and a cable, being the ends thereof fixed to its vane and drum, fixed to the runner. The radial turbine is completed with a cover, which rests on a plate or bracing beams of the walls of the nozzles, said turbine may be applied to capture the kinetic energy of the air or water in motion, the main differences between the present invention and the object of the Spanish publication 2310965 are that this design has no flow enhancer and comprises movable structures in the rotor which generate noise, wear, lubrication issues and exposure to abrasive agents, said device provides a poor overall performance to the system and much complication in relation with maintenance as it is a moveable device that activates with each rotation; its structure determines much energy loss resulting unpractical at snowy areas, it also does not allow a complete closure in case of extreme winds either.
The Spanish publication ES 2,149,638 relates to a vertical axis apparatus for capturing, concentrating, directing and using the energy of fluids in motion, a section configured by a plane perpendicular to the rotor axis thereof shows an external zone, of fixed radial vertical surfaces that captures the fluid taking it to an intermediate zone, of fixed oblique vertical surfaces, deviating the same to the inner zone where vertical axis rotor is located that will rotate in the direction of impact of the fluid; the design of said apparatus constitutes a versatile system as it is able to use the wind or moving water to rotate the rotor; the rotor rotation can be used for producing electricity or mechanical energy useful for appropriate use, the main differences between the present invention and the object of the Spanish publication 2149638 are that this design consists of fixed structures not related to the system itself, it does not comprise a generator as it consists of isolated parts without structural relationship between them, it has no flow enhancement mechanism, it does not allow a complete closure for repairs and in case of extreme wind the rotor is exposed, it is not easily manufactured and needs a lot of installation space; its shape does not allow installation in buildings or small places as platform boats, or the use as a portable device.
The US Publication 2008/0007067 relates to a wind turbine and is the closest prior art to the object of the present invention, said wind turbine includes a support unit having a lower base block and a protruding cylindrical portion, a rotary cylinder is rotatably supported by the projecting part, a rotating shaft extending from a center of the rotary cylinder to rotate in the same direction, an upper bearing installed in the projection to support the rotating cylinder, a lower bearing block is installed on the lower base for supporting the rotary cylinder, a plurality of vanes are installed along the outer circumference of the rotary cylinder at regular angular intervals, and opens outwards in relation with the rotary cylinder or closes to be in intimate contact with the outer circumference of the rotary cylinder, according to a position relative to a wind direction, an angle limiting means prevents each vane is opened beyond a predetermined angle, the main differences between the present invention and the object of US Publication 2008/0007067 are that the latter has no air flow enhancer and therefore a poor air capture performance is achievable, the system is also exposed to extreme winds.
About Hydraulic Turbines:
The generation of renewable energy from natural sources is a field of substantial interest and much development in recent years. Among the forms of energy available to vertical hydraulic turbines are wave energy and current power.
Wave energy is obtained exploiting the tides, by connecting an alternator the system can be used to generate electricity, thereby transforming wave energy into electrical energy, a more secure and usable form of energy. It is a type of renewable energy, as the primary energy source is not exhausted by use, and it is clean as in energy transformation no solid, liquid or gaseous polluting byproducts occur. However, the relationship between the amount of energy that can be obtained with today's means and the economic and environmental cost of installing the devices for processing have prevented significant penetration of this type of energy.
The current power involves using the kinetic energy contained in water currents. The capture process is based on kinetic energy converters similar to wind turbines in this case using subsea installations.
A hydraulic turbine is a turbo hydraulic machine that uses the energy of a fluid passing through it to produce a rotation movement, that transferred by a shaft, directly drives a machine or a generator which converts mechanical energy into power, and in this way it is a key organ of a hydroelectric plant.
Among the known hydraulic turbines is the Pelton turbine, one of the most efficient hydraulic turbines. It is a turbo, cross flow, partial intake, and action machine. It consists of a wheel (runner or rotor) provided with spoons on its periphery, which are specially made to convert the energy of a water jet impinging on the spoons.
Pelton turbines are designed to exploit large low flow hydraulic jumps. Hydroelectric plants equipped with this type of turbine have, most of the time, with a long piping called pressure gallery to transport the fluid from great heights, sometimes to more than two hundred meters. At the end of the pressure gallery water is supplied to the turbine through one or more needle valves, also called injectors, which have the form of a nozzle to increase flow velocity impinging spoons. Pelton turbines have the disadvantage of requiring large height differences (hydraulic jumps) for converting hydraulic energy into electrical energy and lack of fluid flow control.
The Francis turbine was developed by James B. Francis. This is a reaction and mixed flow turbo machine.
Francis turbines are turbines that can be designed for a wide range of jumps and flows, being able to operate in ranges of altitude ranging from six meters to several hundred meters. This, together with its high efficiency, has made this type of turbine the most widely used in the world, mainly for generating electricity by hydroelectric plants. Francis turbines lack of fluid flow control.
The Turgo turbine is an impulse water turbine designed for medium gradient jumps. It was developed by the company Gilkes in 1919 from a Pelton turbine modification.
The Turgo turbine is an impulse type turbine. The water pressure does not change as it passes through the turbine vanes. The water's potential energy is converted into kinetic energy at the inlet nozzle or injector. The water jet is directed at high velocity against the turbine vanes to deflect and reverse the flow. The resulting impulse rotates the runner turbine, communicating the energy to the axis of the turbine. Finally the water comes out with very little energy. The Turgo turbine runners may have a performance over 90%.
The runner of a Turgo looks like a Pelton runner split in half. For the same power, the Turgo runner diameter is half that of a Pelton runner and doubles the specific speed. The Turgo runner can handle a greater flow of water because than Pelton as the water coming out does not interfere with adjacent vanes.
The specific speed of Turgo runners is from the speed of Francis and Pelton turbines. One or more nozzles or injectors can be used. Increasing the number of injectors increases the specific speed of the runner in the square root of the number of jets (four jets yield twice the specific speed of a jet for the same turbine). The Turgo turbine has no fluid flow control.
The Spanish Publication ES 2310965 cited above relates to a wind or hydraulic turbine comprising multiple vertical thin wall nozzles, which form the fixed structure of the turbine.
Within this structure there is a runner, of vertical axis, provided with vanes, articulated to arms fixedly anchored to the runner, which can adopt intermediate positions between the maximum and minimum opening, depending on the speed of the incoming streams. The gradual opening of the vanes to maximize the use of the corresponding energies is automatically achieved by tensioning devices such as that composed of a winding drum and cable, being the ends thereof fixed to its vane and drum, fixed to the runner. The radial turbine is completed with a cover, which rests on a plate or bracing beams in the walls of the nozzles, said turbine may be applied to capture the kinetic energy of the air or water in motion, the main differences between the present invention and the object of the Spanish publication 2310965 are that this design has no flow enhancer and comprises movable structures in the rotor which generate vibration, wear, lubrication issues; said device provides a poor overall performance to the system and much complication in relation with maintenance as it is a moveable device that activates with each rotation; its structure determines much energy loss, it also does not allow a complete closure in case maintenance shutdown either.
The Spanish Publication ES 2149638 cited above refers to a relates to a vertical axis apparatus for capturing, concentrating, directing and use the energy of fluids in motion, a section configured by a plane perpendicular to the rotor axis thereof shows an external zone, of fixed radial vertical surfaces that captures the fluid taking it to an intermediate zone, of fixed oblique vertical surfaces, deviating the same to the inner zone where vertical axis rotor is located that will rotate in the direction of impact of the fluid; the design of said apparatus constitutes a versatile system as it is able to use the wind or moving water to rotate the rotor; the rotor rotation can be used for producing electricity or mechanical energy useful for appropriate use, the main differences between the present invention and the object of the Spanish publication 2149638 are that this design consists of fixed structures not related to system itself, it does not comprise a generator as it consists of isolated parts without structural relationship between them, it has no flow enhancement mechanism, it does not allow a complete closure for repairs and in case of extreme wind the rotor is exposed, it is not easily manufactured and needs a lot of installation space; its shape does not allow installation in buildings or small places as platform boats, or the use as a portable device.
The patent application publication GB 2485574 relates to a vertical axis water turbine mounted inside a vertical tower, which can be mounted on the seabed or river, the rotor has a direct action without water flux concentrator, the rotor is a low performance device as the tangential speed to the same is equal to the flow velocity, turbulences appear in the central zone of the rotor with energy loss, a countercurrent could be generated in a significant portion of the rotor rotation with opposite direction flows and blocking of the capture inlets of the tower. The anchoring system operates at a predetermined depth, which makes it impossible to vary in depth changes of flow in water, the anchor is unidirectional or allows the water flow only in one-way.
The patent application publication GB 2,486,697 relates to a power generation equipment such as a turbine for generation of electricity from wave and river flows comprising a support structure on the river bed or body, a floating energy generator and a crankshaft to move a belt, this power generator has a direct system without enhancer with insulation problems difficult to solve, with no automatic routing and high operational costs, having costly transmission lines with risk of breakage and accidents.
The patent application publication GB 2,486,911 relates to a method and apparatus for generating energy from a flowing stream of water, the system comprising mounting the generator supported by a mooring by retaining means such as between the bed of the ocean and the surface water; the generator assembly may rotate through its vertical axis and represents a direct action system without enhancer, with low range flow orientation which creates vortices and turbulence that reduce the efficiency of the set of engines which opposite circulation generates parasitic crosscurrents. The generator is located under the level of water presenting problems of isolation and transmission, only operating with fluids at high speed, wherein the tangential speed of the rotor is similar to liquid flow speed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,787 relates to a turbine for rivers which is wheel turbine on a horizontal shaft mounted coaxially within a primary nozzle, to be supported in a river stream under a platform that carries the equipment of electric power generation. The turbine shaft and the primary nozzle is submerged and positioned to allow a portion of the flow of the river stream through the nozzle and through the turbine wheel. This turbine is a differential force operating mechanism and accelerates the output flow by narrowing the major nozzle; the system is complicated and maintenance costly, and is exposed to cavitation due to sediment dragging. No improvement regarding performance or increase the flow received by the propeller, substantially, it is a rotor system inefficient and fragile wherein operation depth cannot be adjusted. The system is difficult to anchor and direct and it is only suitable for one-way currents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,536 relates to a power turbine for a stream or river comprising an elongated cylinder with radially extending vanes, each vane has on its supports a plurality of axially spaced fins valves that open and close the corresponding openings thereof. These valves open automatically son that the vanes enter the tail of the wave or release pressure thereon. It is a horizontal axis, direct action system without flow enhancer having movable vanes, subjected to great wear besides being noisy that provides no performance benefits as it locates out of the water surface and the attained height is minimum. It has a power generator exposed to moisture hard to access for repairs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,943 relates to a hydroelectric generator wherein its efficiency is enhanced by the provision of open end tower tubes having inflow ends close the axis and outflow ends close to the periphery of a vane fan turbine. The water jets produced by the vane fan turbine are directed against the turbine vanes at the periphery of the fan vanes. The device is particularly suitable for mounting on watercourses such as rivers and oceans. This is a complex and low performance system due to the loss of energy by raising the water column by direct action without a water flux concentrator. It is difficult to position and unstable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,866 relates to a system for obtaining and regulating air or sea or river current power including a cyclone converter comprised by three concentric rotating bodies, any of them on vanes or cylindrical rails. Fixed by rollers or other electromagnetic system allows rotation of the group around an imaginary or real geometric axis, it is a low performance system as it is a direct action device, it evidences a flow turbulence as it operates in a dense medium like water, power is lost by increasing the volume of the water column in the center of the equipment. This is a system that has insulation and maintenance difficulties if used in water.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,105,942 relates to a power plant with a rotating member for generating current power in a body of water, comprising a fixedly mounted floating structure, and a plurality of replaceable generator units supported by the structure which are controlled by water currents. This is a differential action system using propellers of variable curvature; the generator is under the water surface with risk of moisture and filtrations; it has a variable propeller exposed to erosion, it represents an expensive and fragile mechanism that is not self positionable.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,471,009 relates to an apparatus which is disclosed as a turbine to generate electric power from a fluid of water or air comprising at least one disk rotor having a plurality of vanes in “hydrofoil”, position vanes, a cylindrical housing and generating means. It represents a differential action system with the generator included at the end of the rotor vanes, its use as a hydraulic turbine is costly and shows a poor performance, it is difficult to isolate and in case of repair it is necessary to move the entire system. Anchoring is complicated and unstable in a watercourse; it has an electric mechanism exposed to currents.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,210,805 relates to a turbine having a runner mounted on a shaft. The runner has a central cylindrical wheel mounted on the shaft, and a plurality of vanes extending radially from the wheel center. The vanes are welded to the wheel center with end plates on each end of the runner. Watertight chambers are formed for receiving water by adjacent vanes, the wheel center and the end plates. An inlet directs water into the runner to rotate it. The vanes have a curved shape with no part of the vane extending below the highest part of the inlet when the other edge of the vane is aligned with the top of the inlet. This system represents a horizontal axis turbine which can be used only on the water surface; it is not suitable for deep sea currents, anchoring is difficult, positioning is cumbersome, it is costly and not automatic.